The Conversation -- August 17, 2023
Spirit Animals Are Attacking Jeff Clark. Josephine Harvey of the Huffington Post: "Jeffrey Clark, a former top Justice Department official under Donald Trump, is posting online about supernatural beings in the wake of his racketeering indictment in Georgia.... 'Today witches, spiritists, mediums, those with spirit animals, and Ukrainian NPCs resumed their attacks on me,' Clark wrote on X-...Twitter, on Wednesday." MB: Do you suppose Clark is working up an insanity defense?
Katherine Faulders & Jonathan Karl of ABC News: "... Donald Trump's promised press conference to refute the allegations in the indictment handed up by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office is now very much in doubt.... Trump's legal advisers have told him that holding such a press conference with dubious claims of voter fraud will only complicate his legal problems and some of his attorneys have advised him to cancel it." MB: Darn, because I thought telling more of the same lies that led to federal and state indictments was a brilliant idea. Trump should fire his lawyers for taking away his First Amendment rights. And election interference! And whatever!
Presidential Race 2024. Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: "Ron DeSantis needs 'to take a sledgehammer' to Vivek Ramaswamy, the political newcomer who is rising in the polls. He should 'defend Donald Trump' when Chris Christie inevitably attacks the former president. And he needs to 'attack Joe Biden and the media' no less than three to five times. A firm associated with the super PAC that has effectively taken over Mr. DeSantis's presidential campaign posted online hundreds of pages of blunt advice, research memos and internal polling in early nominating states to guide the Florida governor ahead of the high-stakes Republican presidential debate next Wednesday in Milwaukee.... Super PACs are barred by law from strategizing in private with political campaigns. To avoid running afoul of those rules, it is not unusual for the outside groups to post polling documents in the open, albeit in an obscure corner of the internet where insiders know to look.... But it is unusual, as appears to be the case, for a super PAC, or a consulting firm working for it, to post documents on its own website...."
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Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden staged a day of celebration on Wednesday to herald the reduction in inflation and the Inflation Reduction Act even though experts believe one had little to do with the other. Mr. Biden hosted a boisterous ceremony in the East Room of the White House while allies and aides conducted briefings, gave speeches, published newspaper articles, sent emails, went on television and distributed talking points to mark the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, the major climate and energy law that is one of the signature accomplishments of his presidency. The fact that the anniversary came at the same time as a significant decrease in the inflation rate was more happy coincidence than anything else, say economists, who attribute it more to the Federal Reserve's interest rate increases and other factors. The legislation did plenty of important things in terms of investing in clean energy, raising corporate taxes and curbing prescription drug prices. But it was not really about inflation. As even Mr. Biden implicitly conceded last week, the name of the bill was more about political branding than policy goals."
Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, said Wednesday that he and Speaker Kevin McCarthy had agreed that a bill to temporarily fund the government is necessary in order to stave off the possibility of an impending government shutdown on Oct. 1 and keep the government funded through early December. But his comments were also an acknowledgment that Congress remains far from reaching any agreement on spending levels that would keep the government running on a longer-term basis. 'Speaker McCarthy and I met a few weeks back, and we agreed we should do what's called a C.R. -- in other words, a congressional resolution where you just extend the existing funding for a few months so we could work this out,' Mr. Schumer said on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.'"
Trump Crime Blotter
Olivia Rubin of ABC News: "Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has proposed a March start date for the trial of ... Donald Trump and 18 others on charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. The proposed pretrial scheduling order, filed on Wednesday, proposes a start date of March 4. The date is one day before Super Tuesday in the 2024 presidential race...."
This Is Irritating. Danny Hakim & Richard Fausset of the New York Times: According to the local sheriff, defendants in the case will be processed in the Fulton County Jail where "they would undergo a medical screening, be fingerprinted and have mug shots taken, and could spend time in a holding cell at the jail, weeks after the Justice Department announced an investigation for what it called 'serious allegations of unsafe, unsanitary living conditions' there.... But whether Mr. Trump himself is processed there will very likely depend on the Secret Service.... The Rice Street jail is not a place for the faint of heart, said Robert G. Rubin, a veteran defense lawyer.... In recent weeks, two inmates have been found dead at the jail. Last year, a detainee was found dead in his cell, his body covered in bites from bed bugs and other insects, according to his lawyer.... 'It's miserable. It's cold. It smells. It's just generally unpleasant,' he said, relying on his clients' past descriptions." Emphasis added. ~~~
~~~ Marie BTW: Yesterday, when it seemed Trump would be booked at the jail, I suggested there was a C&W song asking to be written about it, and contributor Patrick came up with some great lyrics (see Comments thread). We aren't the first to find the Fulton County jail a source of artistic inspiration. According to the Times report, "At least two songs on Spotify are titled '901 Rice Street,' the jail's address. The popular rapper Latto has a song whose title refers to Rice Street with an expletive. And a line from a Killer Mike rap goes, 'Locked in like Rice Street without a bond.'"
Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump's defenses against his four indictments are, characteristically, absolutist. The phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), which undergirds Trump's newest indictment, was a 'perfect phone call.' The 91 criminal charges against Trump aren't just overzealous but born of meritless 'witch hunts.' Bristling at a question about a hypothetical plea deal in Georgia, Trump said, 'We did nothing wrong.'... Increasingly, few Americans actually believe Trump did 'nothing' wrong, according to new polling. And while Republicans overwhelmingly say they don't think Trump broke the law, most -- even a very strong majority -- fault him in some measure."
Trump Revises a Toxic Racist Slur to Attack Georgia Grand Jurors. Blayne Alexander & Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "The purported names and addresses of members of the grand jury that indicted Donald Trump and 18 of his co-defendants on state racketeering charges this week have been posted on a fringe website that often features violent rhetoric, NBC News has learned. NBC News is choosing not to name the website featuring the addresses to avoid further spreading the information.... The indictment issued Monday lists the names of the grand jury members but not their addresses or other personal information. Tuesday -- after Trump posted on his social media website that authorities were going 'after those that fought to find the RIGGERS!' -- Advance Democracy said Trump supporters were 'using the term "rigger" in lieu of a racial slur' in posts.... 'These jurors have signed their death warrant by falsely indicting President Trump,' a post on a pro-Trump forum read in response to a post including the names of jurors, which was viewed by NBC News."
Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A Texas woman has been charged with threatening to kill Tanya S. Chutkan, the federal judge in Washington who is overseeing ... Donald J. Trump's prosecution on charges of seeking to overturn the 2020 election. The woman, Abigail Jo Shry, of Alvin, Texas, called Judge Chutkan's chambers on Aug. 5, two days after Mr. Trump was arraigned on the election interference charges, and left a voice mail message attacking the judge, who is Black, with a racial slur, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Friday. In the message, Ms. Shry told Judge Chutkan, 'If Trump doesn't get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly, bitch,' according to the complaint. She added, 'You will be targeted personally, publicly, your family, all of it.'" The AP's report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: If like me, you keep wondering what possible appeal a whiney, selfish, entitled, elderly fat man could have, Mizz Shry answers that question. Most likely, she is not a crazy person. She is the Kracken, and Donald Trump has released her. He has given her permission to degrade, threaten and even kill authority figures who irritate her. Trump has transferred power from those charged with enforcing the rule of law & normal "fairness" to individual Americans who have long felt that "fairness" means that they have the freedom and individual right to harm anyone who displeases them. Trump thought he had "an Article II where I have the right to do whatever I want," and every surly, ragtag Trumpbot believes Trump has transferred that same right to them.
Gideon Rubin of the Raw Story: "Longtime GOP operative and Donald Trump ally Roger Stone is shown hatching plans to overturn the 2020 election before the results were even known in a video obtained by MSNBC host Ari Melber. The video, which the cable network released publicly on Wednesday..., shows Stone ... dictating the plans to an associate on Nov. 5, 2020, two days after Election Day. The statement outlines plans to compel state legislatures to overturn close races by claiming election fraud." Includes video.
Kaitlan Collins & Paula Reid of CNN: "With his attorney in tow, Rudy Giuliani traveled to Mar-a-Lago in [late April] on a mission to make a personal and desperate appeal to ... Donald Trump to pay his legal bills. By going in person, a source familiar with the matter told CNN, Giuliani and his lawyer Robert Costello believed they could explain face-to-face why Trump needed to assist his former attorney with his ballooning legal bills.... But the former president ... didn't seem very interested. After Costello made his pitch, Trump verbally agreed to help with some of Giuliani's legal bills without committing to any specific amount or timeline. Trump also agreed to stop by two fundraisers for Giuliani, a separate source said.... But what has surprised those in Trump's inner circle is the former president's unwillingness to pay for Giuliani's bills, given Giuliani could find himself under intense pressure to cooperate with the federal and state prosecutors who have charged Trump."
Michael Gold & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "A campaign associate of Representative George Santos who impersonated Speaker Kevin McCarthy's former chief of staff was charged with wire fraud and identity theft in a federal indictment unsealed on Wednesday. The aide, Samuel Miele, was arraigned Wednesday morning in Brooklyn federal court and released on $150,000 bond. He has pleaded not guilty. He was accused by federal prosecutors of sending 'fraudulent fund-raising' emails to more than a dozen potential contributors to an unnamed candidate. In those messages, he claimed to be a 'high-ranking aide to a member of the House with leadership responsibilities,' the indictment said. When Mr. Miele successfully solicited campaign contributions, he received a 15 percent commission, according to the indictment." Also linked yesterday. An NBC News story is here.
Lauren Sforza of the Hill: "A Republican lawmaker apologized Tuesday for a 'religious freedom' tweet he posted earlier that day after receiving backlash from both sides of the aisle. Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) asked Lizzie Marbach, director of communications at Ohio Right to Life, to delete one of her posts on X...-Twitter, that said there is 'no hope for any of us outside of having faith in Jesus Christ alone.' 'This is one of the most bigoted tweets I have ever seen. Delete it, Lizzie. Religious freedom in the United States applies to every religion. You have gone too far,' he posted on X. Just hours after that post, Miller apologized for the tweet." MB: Miller's mistake was the tone of his tweet, particularly because he's a public official, and he gives the dimwitty lady a command. But the sentiment? I'm with Miller. Marbach's tweet is a straightforward expression of religious bigotry. Also linked yesterday.
American Nightmare. Matt Berg of Politico: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she had not ruled out the possibility of running for the Senate. And she would consider "very heavily" (which must be like considering "very strongly") accepting the V.P. spot on a Trump ticket. Also linked yesterday.
Pam Belluck & Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court panel said on Wednesday that the abortion pill mifepristone should remain legal in the United States but with significant restrictions on patients' access to it, setting up a showdown before the Supreme Court on the fate of the most common method of terminating pregnancies. The decision, which would prohibit the pill from being sent through the mail or prescribed by telemedicine, is the latest development in a closely watched lawsuit that seeks to remove abortion pills entirely from the market by invalidating the Food and Drug Administration's 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. But for now, the ruling will have no real-world effect: In April, the Supreme Court said mifepristone would have to remain available under the current rules until the appeals process concludes." Politico's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: I see no reason to look forward to a reasonable outcome. These old fogies, none of whom has medical or scientific expertise, think that because they cannot be overruled, they should decide what doctors and scientists are allowed to determine. Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is the responsibility of the first two branches of government to get together and check the absolute power of the third.
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Kansas. Kevin Draper & Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: "The top prosecutor in Marion County, Kan., said on Wednesday that there was not sufficient evidence to support a raid on a local newspaper last week, and that all the devices and materials obtained in the search would be returned. Joel Ensey, the Marion County attorney, said in a statement that, in light of the insufficient evidence, he directed local law enforcement to return the seized material. Police officers and county sheriff's deputies searched the newspaper's office, the home of its owner and editor and the home of a city councilwoman on Friday -- collecting computers, cellphones and other materials. It is extremely rare for law enforcement authorities in the United States to search and seize the tools to produce journalism." See related stories linked over the past few days.
North Carolina. Rick Rojas & Anna Betts of the New York Times: "North Carolina became the latest state to block minors from having access to gender-transition care, as Republican lawmakers voted on Wednesday to override the governor's veto of a bill restricting hormone treatments, puberty blockers and surgeries for young people. The move came as the State Legislature's Republican supermajorities marshaled the votes to topple several other of Gov. Roy Cooper's [D] vetoes, reviving legislation that limits female transgender students' participation in school sports and restricts what can be taught in schools about gender and sexual orientation. North Carolina now joins about 20 other states that have enacted legislation blocking access to transition-related care for minors, with many of those laws passed this year as conservative lawmakers across the country have seized upon L.G.T.B.Q. issues." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I would not say that they "have seized upon L.G.T.B.Q. issues." I would say that they have cruelly seized upon a group of young people to target, and like the Supremes, have put themselves in a position to overrule the best practices of medical professionals and the natural rights of parents to participate in decisions about their children's medical treatment. I do think the government has an inherent interest in professional standards, but this is not it.